Ray Peck, Hawthorn, Victoria
It is good that Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell recently hosted a local climate summit (’Birrell vows to lead on clean energy transition’, the News, March 3). He is right to point out that when it comes to solar energy per capita and solar penetration in the energy market, Australia is number one in the world.
In 2021, nearly 16 per cent of our theoretical energy penetration was due to solar whereas in the US it was only four per cent. Interestingly, most of our solar energy (70 per cent) is generated on rooftops, not solar farms.
Despite this, less than one third of Australian homes have solar. In Greater Shepparton, 31 per cent of dwellings have solar installations.
For other households, about half are rentals and, despite government financial assistance, landlords are slow to act. However, solar share schemes are now available to apartment owners.
For the remaining homeowners, the upfront cost can be off-putting, or their rooftop may not be suitable.
Even though the payback time is only three to five years, the initial outlay is money some don’t have. However, with cheap solar finance, it’s possible to be ‘cash flow positive’ from day one, where monthly energy savings are worth more than the cost of paying back the loan. This is especially true for businesses, for which installation is a tax deduction.
For those without suitable rooftops, it’s now possible to source power through a ‘solar garden’. The first of these is in Grong Grong, NSW and more are coming thanks to the Federal Government program announced in the budget. Hopefully, in 2023, more Australians can access clean, cheap solar power, and Mr Birrell will be leading the way in Nicholls.